


I Just Died on the Ice Tonight

by Allekha



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Background Lilia Baranovskaya/Yakov Feltsman - Freeform, Ficlet, Gen, Ice Skating, Overly Dramatic, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:20:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29831748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allekha/pseuds/Allekha
Summary: Back in his day, Yakov had his own moments of rebellion - like when he knew his program needed an appropriately dramatic ending and his coach disagreed.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 13





	I Just Died on the Ice Tonight

Yakov had been excited to show off his new free skate to his coach – he thought it was his best one yet, crafted with the wonderful advice of Lilia – but as he returned to the edge of the rink, still brushing snow from his legs, it was clear that his coach saw a problem with it.  
  
"Don't you think the death ending is overdone?" his coach asked. "There's enough tension in the choreography without it, and it's not the first time you've done it. The judges will be rolling their eyes."  
  
Yakov frowned at him, baffled. "It's set to _Swan Lake_. It's a tragedy. The swan and the prince die at the end. A dramatic ending where I die suits it! Just like when I did _Romeo and Juliet_ – and you were the one who gave me _Danse Macabre_ —"  
  
"I'm not saying it doesn't fit in the programs!" His coach threw his hands in the air. "But you shouldn't keep repeating yourself, and just because the ballet ends in tragedy doesn't mean your program has to. Perhaps the end of the program is where the prince first spots Odette, or resolves to find her. It's an Olympic year, and you should end it with something uplifting. Optimistic. Not a shameless grab at dramatics."  
  
Yakov's jaw dropped open. "Those 'shameless dramatics' were choreographed by a principal at the Bolshoi!"  
  
"I'm sure she's a wonderful dancer. But does that mean she understands how the judges think?"  
  
After a lengthy argument – long enough that Yakov's legs had frozen stiff from standing on the ice – Yakov gave in. Or so he said to his coach.  
  
He bided his time. At Nationals, at Euros, he performed the changed version of his program, tongue firmly bit on how the ending pose no longer went with last breathtaking seconds of the music. He did well enough in competition, and his coach seemed happy with his placements.  
  
At the Olympics – the last one of his career – Yakov skated onto the ice thinking of Lilia's burning eyes as she watched him imitate the movements she had created. Thought of how passionately she had described her concept for the program. Thought of her watching from back home. Thought of how much _better_ the ending they had decided on together was.  
  
Letting everyone see the program as it was meant to be would more than make up for a scolding afterward. He was about to retire, so he might as well skate in a way fit to remember.  
  
Instead of finishing with his coach's happier conclusion, he made a series of spiraling turns right on the music, gave the judges a wide-eyed, despairing look, and threw himself to the ice as though it was his only escape from them. His knees hurt from the impact; the applause filled the arena. He had to brush shreds of ice from his costume before he took his bows, but he knew it had been the correct choice.  
  
Of course his coach grumbled at him about it as soon as he stepped off the rink, but it earned him the best artistic marks of his career – and the bronze medal. No coach could argue with a result like that. "That's enough of this laying on the ice," his coach groused anyway. "I better not see any imitation of you from anyone at the rink next season."  
  
(What made him just as happy as the medal was that Lilia loved his performance, dramatic drop to the ice and all.)

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by some great nonnies suggesting that Yakov was one of the people who annoyed the ISU into banning 'dying' on the ice. (See [this classic fluff piece](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZGbGhlHTjY) for some great examples!)


End file.
